Apple Intelligence arrives in iOS 18.1 developer beta. Here's what's new for iPhone
Apple has released beta versions of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and MacOS Sequoia 15.1 with Apple Intelligence features, the company's slew of artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities announced at WWDC in June. The new AI features are currently limited to the developer beta, and it's unclear when they will be released in the public beta.
Also: Every iPhone model that will support Apple's new AI features (for now)
Developers with access to iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and MacOS Sequoia 15.1 can opt into the new Apple Intelligence features or remain on the standard developer beta track. This is particularly important as the AI features require a specific set of devices.
As a reminder, only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max can access Apple Intelligence features on iOS 18.1 with a developer beta. The AI features are available on iPadOS 18.1 and MacOS Sequoia 15.1 developer beta for iPads and Macs with an M1 Apple silicon chip or newer.
Currently, the Apple Intelligence features available in the developer beta include the reimagined Siri interface, which allows switching between voice commands and typing; Writing Tools, which uses generative AI to generate text and summaries; new categories and smart replies in Mail; smart replies in Messages that use the context of a conversation; and the ability to create summaries for transcripts and content.
Also: How iOS 18 will impact your iPhone's battery health - and what you can do about it
Other Apple Intelligence features are still unavailable for now, including Genmoji, Image Playground, the ChatGPT integration with Siri, Priority notifications, and Siri personal context.
When you enroll in the developer beta program and download iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and MacOS Sequoia 15.1, you can enable the Apple Intelligence features in Settings. You'll then be prompted to sign up for a waitlist -- some have reported that Apple grants you access within a few hours.
Also: Apple reportedly delays the first Apple Intelligence features until October
As we've seen with other generative AI tools launched in recent years, Aplle plans to launch all its Apple Intelligence features in a beta version upon their initial release. Apple is planning to launch Apple Intelligence this fall, and it will become available separately from the initial iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and MacOS Sequoia 15 general release.